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Suggest Treatment For Pain And Numbness Radiating To The Shoulder And Arms
Posted on
Fri, 25 Nov 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 25 Nov 2016
Answered on
Sat, 17 Dec 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : These symptoms appear at night when trying to sleep. They become severe enough that I can't sleep. I have pain, tingling and numbness starting under my right scapula and radiating through right shoulder and down my arm. Pain in wrist and hand is more severe. Hand gets numb but painful when I try to grip or squeeze. Pinky and ring finger experience jerky range of motion and pinky seems to lock up and snap from one position to the next. Symptoms decrease when I stand and move around. Moving my wrist causes pain in fingers and hand.
Brief Answer:
Seems to be a cervical disc prolapse
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting the question.
From the complaints that you have stated it seems that a nerve in the neck region is compressed and pinched causing tingling , numbness and pain. This can occur due to a slipped disc in the cervical region.
Other possibility is of a neuroradiculopathy caused by inflammation of the nerve without any compression in the neck.
A rare possibility is of an associated carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case,the median nerve is compressed at the wrist region causing painful wrist movements and increase in the symptoms during night time.
I would suggest you to get an MRI of the cervical spine and Electromyography and Nerve conduction velocity tests in the affected limb to come to a perfect diagnosis.
Depending upon the reports,further line of management can be planned.
Till then take analgesic and vitamin tablets with methycobalamin ,folic acid and pregabalin.
Local gel application and hot fomentation with compression bandage around the wrist will be helpful.
Avoid taking pillow beneath your head while sleeping.
Do let me know the reports once they are ready.
Hope the answer was useful.
Thank you.
Kind regards.
Seems to be a cervical disc prolapse
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting the question.
From the complaints that you have stated it seems that a nerve in the neck region is compressed and pinched causing tingling , numbness and pain. This can occur due to a slipped disc in the cervical region.
Other possibility is of a neuroradiculopathy caused by inflammation of the nerve without any compression in the neck.
A rare possibility is of an associated carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case,the median nerve is compressed at the wrist region causing painful wrist movements and increase in the symptoms during night time.
I would suggest you to get an MRI of the cervical spine and Electromyography and Nerve conduction velocity tests in the affected limb to come to a perfect diagnosis.
Depending upon the reports,further line of management can be planned.
Till then take analgesic and vitamin tablets with methycobalamin ,folic acid and pregabalin.
Local gel application and hot fomentation with compression bandage around the wrist will be helpful.
Avoid taking pillow beneath your head while sleeping.
Do let me know the reports once they are ready.
Hope the answer was useful.
Thank you.
Kind regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. REMY KOSHY
Answered by
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